Hornby Island

Water Activities

Blessed with one of the west coast's finest white sand beaches, Hornby Island has evolved into an ultra beach-bound getaway.

Swimming and skimboarding in Tribune Bay's famously warm (by Vancouver Island if not quite tropical standards) and shallow ocean water is just the start for aquatic adventures.

The rest of the year doesn't lack for interest, either. Upwards of 300 California and Steller's Sea Lions bask and bark at Norris Rocks near Hornby's southeast corner each winter. The Herring spawn in March attracts thousands of gulls, Harlequin Ducks and eagles for a feeding frenzy.

Kayaking

Spend a day paddling around the island, a distance of 25.5km/15.9mi. Bring a personal kayak or rent one from Hornby Island Outdoor Sports at the Ringside Market. Single and double kayaks are available to experienced kayakers. Boats are delivered direct to shoreline departure points.

Scuba Diving

The blunthouse six-gilled shark dwells unseen in the depths of many oceans, but for some reason it's drawn close to the surface at a handful of spots in the Pacific Northwest. Hornby Island's Flora Islet is one, and that makes this gray, torpedo-like creature a prize sighting for divers from May to September. Multi-coloured Rockfish, Wolf Eels, Moonsnails, and Abalone are also found locally.

Hornby Island Diving is based on the rise above the Ford's Cove Marina and offers year-round excursions. In addition to Flora Islet, prime dive locations include Chrome Island (site of the 1900 wreck SS Alpha), Norris Rock, and the eelgrass beds at Ford's Cove. Tanks, weights, and airfills are part of the package, and divers can bunk down at the company's 10-bedroom lodge.

Swimming and Beachcombing

The sun-kissed tidal flats at Big Tribune Bay gift swimmers with remarkably warm waters and an "endless summer" vibe. Clothing optional dips are allowed around the peninsula at Little Tribune Bay. Another good spot to get wet is offshore from the otherworldly sandstone formations at Heron Rock southeast of Ford's Cove.

Feel free to harvest the ocean's bounty for food, medicine, and cosmetics with the aid of islander Vera Ronningen's Hornby Island Seaweeds: A Field Guide (available at the Co-op).

Boating

The upgraded Ford's Cove Marina is the best spot on the island to tie up and overnight in the shelter of a breakwater and causeway. Fill up at the fuel dock, stock up at the grocery store or dine on takeout pizza and fish-and-chips here. Boaters can also drop anchor at Shingle Spit and Tribune Bay. Boat launches are at Grassy Point and Shingle Spit.